Dozens of Republic of China (ROC) “nationals without citizenship” from the Philippines gathered in front of the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday to protest their exclusion from the National Health Insurance program.
There are currently about 2,000 ROC nationals without citizenship living in Taiwan. Most were born in the Philippines and hold ROC passports because their parents are ethnic Chinese.
However, they are denied legal residence status because the government does not view them as “Taiwanese” and therefore they do not have national ID cards, which makes them ineligible to participate in the national health program.
Elizabeth Ong Cheng, a member of a group that provides care and support for overseas Taiwanese who have returned from the Philippines, said the group has more than 500 members who all hold ROC passports, but are excluded from the health plan because they lack national ID cards.
Many of them have lived in Taiwan for more than 10 years, but have to leave the country for at least one day every six months to renew their visas, said Lorna Kung (龔尤倩), executive director of the Scalabrini International Migration Network in Taiwan and a consultant to the Taiwan International Workers Association.
These people are not the same as dual nationals who try to take advantage of the insurance system by not paying any premiums until they return to the country for medical treatment, she said.
Many ROC nationals without citizenship have lived here for many years, she said.
“They can legally work in Taiwan and have contributed to our society, but are excluded from the national health insurance system. Our social welfare system should not allow them to be treated like this,” she said.
Chu Tong-kuang (曲同光), deputy convener of health department task force on insurance premiums, said that the National Health Insurance Act (全民健康保險法) does not allow for loosening restrictions to include non-residents in the national health program.
However, the department would investigate the issue, Chu said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS